Tuesday GTKY

[mommyatty]

1) How long until summer break for you?
2) what are you most looking forward to?
3) least looking forward to?

bonus: any summer recipes to share? Boozy pool drinks? Salads? Barbecue faves?

[mommyatty]

1) Two. More. Weeks. Both kids get out next Thursday.
2) Not getting kids ready in the morning (though DH does most of that to be fair.) Pool time. Vacation. So many things. I love summer.
3) Since I work from home, having kids all up in my business during the day. I lucky my office is outside the main house, but the kids are getting froggier about coming in to ask me questions. So is DH. I’m going to have to remind them that I Am At Work.

[twinmomma]

1. We have a month left, only had a couple snow days so we're on track to end relatively early for our area
2. It feels like this summer we found a good balance of some camps to keep the kids busy and some weeks where they'll just chill at home and get some friend time. It was so nice to not stress about filling every single week with childcare! I'm also really looking forward to SIL's visit with her family. They're staying with us for a week. We had so much fun with them last summer, everyone is counting down to this year. SIL is the best kind of houseguest - perfectly content to let the kids just hang out and run around while the adults just chill and do whatever. We don't have to "entertain" her. And she's another chef, so it's always fun to have her and DH team up to cook for everyone!
3. DH agreed to a bunch of schedule shifts with his ex that mean we'll be in kind of a weird week on/week off schedule for part of the summer. I know he's going to get super grumpy missing DS for those stretches, so I'm kind of annoyed he agreed to it. He hates going a full week without seeing DS, understandably. But this was preventable if he just stood his ground with his ex instead of caving to her travel requests.

[rere]

1. Since Dd is in college, she's out for the summer. She's having a bit of an adjustment period having so much downtime. But she starts her internship in a couple of weeks, so that should keep her busy.
2. We have all kinds of fun things planned. A trip to Cancun and Charleston, girls days at the lake and pool, barbecues, outdoor concerts, weddings.

3. Absolutely nothing

4. I love this dip for the pool www.mamalovesfood.com/cowboy-caviar/?utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social-pug

[mae0111]

1) How long until summer break for you? Technically 16 school days left, but that includes 2 field trips for DD2, field day, DD1's graduation ceremony is a "school" day for the whole school but only 2 hours, and DD1's class sponsors and participates in a carnival for a local school for kids with developmental and learning differences. Also finals for DD1. So a fun but moderately stressful 16 days?
2) what are you most looking forward to? Time at our beach house. I'll be done with work just as they wrap up school, so it will be a less stressful summer. It's nice to be on a different schedule than the rest of the folks that are renting and trying to jam in their beach time in a week. We can show up to the beach when we want because taxpayers have a different parking area. We can come and go as we please. Can't get into that one restaurant that we love this week? We can go next week! Stuff like that.
3) least looking forward to? The kids having unstructured time. Because all they want to do is have their faces in a tablet. I have to push them along to do stuff.

Recipes: I will often make marinated tomatoes and mozzarella in garlic olive oil with basil and some balsamic vinegar. I'll eat it plain, or add it to cooked cold tortellini for a pasta salad. I don't have any amounts - just dump it all in.

I also make orzo salad a lot. Cook some orzo in chicken broth or water with a bouillon cube thrown in. Drain, rinse, cool. Add whatever veggies you want - I use chopped peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers. Grilled Zucchini if I have it. Maybe red onion, but I don't really like it, so I usually leave it out. I like it with feta cheese, DH doesn't so I leave it out and serve it on the side. Dressing is a simple vinaigrette - oil, red or white wine vinegar, garlic powder, mustard or mustard powder, salt, pepper, a little sugar if needed. It's great with meat added in too - leftover chicken, or italian deli meats chopped up would be delicious. If using Italian meats, I'd use cubed provolone or mozzarella instead of feta.

[sdlaura]

1) How long until summer break for you? We still have another month of school. The kids are only off for 8 weeks.
2) what are you most looking forward to? DD’s 6th grade promotion on the last day of school, and our summer vacations (a week in Washington state with friends and a week on Martha’s Vineyard with my parents and sister’s family)
3) least looking forward to? Our short summer break is fine with me! I don’t love summer break here. My day to day schedule gets a lot more complicated, I pay a ton for camps, and our towns are overwhelmed with tourists.

bonus: any summer recipes to share? Boozy pool drinks? Salads? Barbecue faves? I love a panzanella salad

[supertrooper1]

1. We have over a month before summer break.
2. I'm excited to spend more time with DS.
3. I'm not looking forward to the two weeks he will spend with his dad.

I love watermelon salad. It's either white or red wine vinegar mixed with olive oil, some red onions and cilantro, and sometimes feta if I can find cows milk feta for me. It doesn't seem like it would work with watermelon but it's so good!

[186momx]

1) How long until summer break for you? We don't get out until June 14th
2) what are you most looking forward to? Not fighting with DD about going to school.
3) least looking forward to? DD's summer practice schedule. Tu/Th/Fr 3:30-7pm which means unless I figure out a carpool DD has to go to work with me on Tu/Th. I hate having to carpool during the summer when I'm more flexible (off at 3) because I rely on it all tax season.

[dglvrk2]

1. Kids don't get out until June 20. Don't get me started about the late last day

2. Personally - mountain biking. For the kids: I'm excited to see them empowered and having fun. DD1 will go to a music camp with mostly high school students her first week of summer and a volleyball camp in Oregon in July. DD2 is going to a water spots camp with a friend that she's already excited about.

3. Least: continuing to support DD1 as she navigates friends, making friends etc. She's, honestly, really at a loss right now. I'm really hoping she can make a nice friend or two this summer.

[erbear]

1. 19.5 days to go. BUUUUUTTT, in there are 3 major events for my 8th graders that I organize, including a 3 day overnight to DC.

2. I just can't wait until summer. I love the pace of summer. We have a trip planned to Stockholm and Copanhagen, a couple of weeks at the beach, but mostly lots of chill time.

3. There is literally nothing about summer that I don't look forward to

[k3am]

1. We get out 5/31

2. Days at the pool

3. Having to get into a new routine. Our daily routine can't change - the kids are home, but we have to work. Our school routine is easy - DD can walk home, I only pick DS a couple times a week (we switch with the neighbors), and leaving at 2pm to avoid traffic helps. For camp, drop offs and pickups are a pain. Leaving at 2pm to avoid traffic gets me to the camp area too early, but my house is out of the way, so it's going to take me time to get to camp and back. Add in the fact that DD has early practices on the same days she has field trips for camps? Yikes. She will definitely be missing some practices.

[macmars45]

1. 20 school days... I think. Our last day is June 13th thanks to a few snow days. We get out at 11:10am and then we'll go get frozen yogurt as is tradition on the first & last day of school in my house.

2. The weeks DS(8) has lego camp at the end of July & beginning of August. Summer is rough in our house. All the 'normal' fun summer things DS hates or they overstimulate and/or dysregulate him. I want year round school so badly. I imagine how amazing a 6 week summer vacation would be every year.

3. Summer in general but mostly the hot weather (100+) and wildfires.

[mommyatty]

macmars45, can you ask for an extended school year for your DS? I know normally it’s to prevent learning loss, but maybe there’s an argument to be made about social skills losses?

[macmars45]

May 15, 2024 8:57:18 GMT -5 mommyatty said:

macmars45 , can you ask for an extended school year for your DS? I know normally it’s to prevent learning loss, but maybe there’s an argument to be made about social skills losses?

It's only offered for migrant kids (we have quite a few here in central WA state) and kids with more serve disabilities so my DS doesn't qualify. If we had actual summer school he'd qualify for reading & math. It's messed up that the district doesn't offer summer school most years because it's not in the budget. 

[librarychica]

1) 7 school days
2) more flexibility and family time
3) the heat and humidity, mosquitoes, tourists .. except for having my kids more available I kind of loathe summer

[soccermama]

1) My kids will done in about 3 weeks! But I wish we got summer break from work!! lol. 🤣🤣🤣
2) what are you most looking forward to? - Not having to worry about getting everyone to school in the morning, and def glad that DD is getting a break from having to catch the bus at 6:20 a.m. (Blech)
Oh, and the other big thing I'm looking forward to is going on a Cruise!!  We set sail the week after DD finishes school. 
3) least looking forward to? - the inevitable too much screen time fight....

[waverly]

May 14, 2024 9:10:13 GMT -5 mommyatty said:

1) How long until summer break for you?
2) what are you most looking forward to?
3) least looking forward to?

bonus: any summer recipes to share? Boozy pool drinks? Salads? Barbecue faves?

1. We are out May 24th
2. I'm looking forward to them not having to get up for school in the morning. Our trip to South Dakota.  
3. Too much downtime and screeentime. Busy period at work. 

Ask librarychica for her prosecco recipe.  I served it at a BBQ 2 years ago, yum!  I'm not really a big summer recipe person because my family is stuck in food ruts and don't appreciate variety, but occasionally I will make something for me like a watermelon feta salad (be careful of it being outside in the heat), or a strawberry shortcake which is basically just strawberries and sugar.  I'd love to make some kind of corn bean salad or something like that.  

[k3am]

Our favorite boozy pool recipe is infused vodka + lemonade. It's really pretty, looks WAY more impressive than it is, and is so easy to make.

We make infused vodka (soak a bunch of berries, a bit of sugar, and some average vodka - Costco brand or better is perfect, Smirnoff is not) for a week or so, drain the berries, and save the infused vodka in a jar and freeze. Then pour a glass of lemonade and top with a shot or two of infused vodka. Delish.

Disclaimer that it goes down easy and has also been dubbed truth serum.

Not in a pool friendly glass:

[AdaraMarie]

May 14, 2024 9:10:13 GMT -5 mommyatty said:

1) How long until summer break for you?
2) what are you most looking forward to?
3) least looking forward to?

bonus: any summer recipes to share? Boozy pool drinks? Salads? Barbecue faves?

Not counting today, my kids have 5 school days left. And they are both moving up to the next school so it feels like a lot.
I am looking forward to the trip I am taking without them to Seattle. Oh! and I just remembered that last summer I made each of my kids responsible for planning and cooking 1 dinner a week - I am very much looking forward to implementing that again.
I am least looking forward to driving them to all their activities, especially a few weeks in when they start whining before hand that they don't want to go while also being super happy and excited after they went. Child - can you just remember that you like it once you get there?! We can skip the whining part!